By Allison Peck
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Great Plains Health has earned six American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards recognizing its commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-based care for patients experiencing heart disease and stroke.
The awards honor hospitals that consistently follow the latest research-based treatment guidelines, helping improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital readmissions and save lives.
According to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Report, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, while stroke ranks fourth. The Get With The Guidelines® program helps hospitals nationwide align patient care with the latest scientific recommendations.
"We are committed to delivering high-quality care by following the latest treatment guidelines and continually improving processes that help ensure timely, appropriate care for heart attack and stroke patients," Great Plains Health CEO Ivan Mitchell said. "Get With The Guidelines® programs help our teams put proven science into practice every day, supporting better outcomes and helping more people in our region live longer, healthier lives."
This year, Great Plains Health received the Stroke Gold Plus award, Rural Coronary Artery Disease NSTE-ACS Gold award, Rural Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Gold award, Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Silver award with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center Silver award with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll recognition, and the Rural Stroke Bronze award.
Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., MPH, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee, said the awards demonstrate Great Plains Health's dedication to improving cardiovascular care for patients across the region.
"By following the American Heart Association's quality improvement protocols, Great Plains Health can help advance our shared vision of better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for patients, families and health care systems," Joynt Maddox said.
Great Plains Health is a 116-bed regional medical center based in North Platte that serves western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and northern Colorado. The health system includes nearly 100 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties and provides advanced heart and vascular, cancer and orthopedic services.